Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-20

!, Since the publication OF the new incol
| poration act last Saturday, the communit.
has been pretty well worked up by division
of opinion concerning the various feature
of the bill. 1t is too soon yet for everyon
to have formulated his views on the meas
ure as a whole as the bill is very prolr
and OF interminable length, and require
. no small amount of cogitatiOn by tn
! ordinary reader to form an intelligent cor
ception of 1t. But enough was known Q
the methodsresorted tot uworkluE:the bill i
t the LEGISLATURE, and the strange secrec.
: concerning it's provisions since it passed
together with the unwi llingness of thos
. who we're connected with its inception
and presentation to the Legislator
to have it discussed in public after step
were taken under it to reincorporate thi
city, t put ordinary men on their guart
and to justify the suspicion that there Ii
A sni2eer in the woodpile,'' which a Sigh
perusal of the bin confirms. The MINER
having opposed the measure on what ap
peared to it reasonable grounds, has bee;
at considerable pains to lay before it,
readers the opinions Of the opponents o
the bill in the community, and presents 6
resume of what some OF those approached
think of the measure.
Mr.. Nichols, when approached and asked
for an expression OF his views, said tina,
there were some things he approved in the
bill and some which he did not. He does
not like the idea Of the power
which the bill confers on the
time he approved the proposition for en-
largement of the city's boundaries and the
power it con!e-s to make public improve
ments. The BIZ. makes elective the Office
which. in his opinion. should have been ap.
pointive, if any, namely that OF police mag
~istrate. He thought the City Attorney and
City Treasurer ought to be elective Offices.
A system of sewerage is needed, to be sure,
and such cannot be procured under the
present charter.
CAPTAIN Walsh was met in the Court
House and said he had not heard OF any
one IN favor of the bill but members OF
what he called 1.-The ring" He regarded it
as un-American because it does not give
those affected by the extension the right to
vote on the proposition to come into the
city limits. Those in the present city
| limits and who are heavy taxpayers
are debarred from voting upon
incorporation simply because they
are not freeholders. The question OF bond
ing of Indebtedness by the city is ore which
will affect every taxpayer whether he is a
freeholder or not, and one upon which
every taxpayer should have a vote.
Mr.. Casey, OF Casey & Bropby, expressed
ia vorable views as 10 the new measure,
and thinks that incorporation is the
best thing that could happen the town. 1t
needed powers like those conferred on the
| Mayor to iuduce a good man to old the
office.
Mr.. Walton, when asked whath he thought
about the bill. said hat in his opinion the
powers conferred on the Mayor and Council
were too great. The proposed extension
will take in a great deal Of ground that is
not remunative now and will not be for a
long time but will be excessively costly to
the city for improvements. He was not
holders the power the bill confers on
them, and was inclined to think that it
was giving them too exclusive powers Of
dictation in the communitw.
Mr.. Roc Leggat was oppose TO the bill
on general grounds, hut had not formulated
his ideas for publication.
Fred Scheuer, in the proposed new limits,
was seen and expressed himself as bitterly
opposed to the bill. He said the section he
lived in made application to Butte five
years ago for admission to the city but had
been repulsed tnen. He and his neighbors
had gone to work themselves andimproved
their streets as well as they could, and now
the city wants them to come in and help
pay for improvements IN town. No, sir
he, I'VE have got along SO far by our
and will be quite able to hoe our own
row, in future, just as We nave been doing"
All the property holders on East Park
the city limits are OF the same
opinion as Mr.. Scheuer. They are unani-
mously opposed to reincol poration, prin-
because it will increase their taxes |
.ithout returning them any corresponding |
benefit. |
Mr.. Mahoney, the boiler-shop man,
thought the bill took away power from the
people and gave it to a few irresponsible
men. He had gone to the City Clerk to get
a list Of those who signed the petition for
rei~ncorporation, and had been put of
niger in the fence about those signatures.
He understood that an attorney had been
paid $500 to draw up the bill. and Alder
man Pinkham had been sent On a diplo.
mission to Helena at great ex.
pense to lobby the bill through. He was
to the feature calling for rein
rporation by freeholders. Everyone
ought to have a voice in the settlement of
any question affecting the municipality. It
ooks like a put up job, too, requiring the
place on the scheme to be at the
City Hall, where the returns could be
up to suit.
Mr.. Ed. Hickey, of the same part of the
proposed new limits, has no use for the
:rease Of taxation. This part OF the
county is as law abiding and peaceable as
anywhere in the city, and what do we
want with police here? 1t would be an
expense. l think it would be
good opening for jobs for oficeholders,
ETC.
Albert THAI. Andrews the grocer, and
ir. Bodle Of the same section OF town, ex-
PRESSED similar sentiments. They thought
here might be some necessity for such a
measure later but there was none now
one that would benefit that part OF
own.
Recorder Booth thought the measure
cry unlikely to pass from the expression ,
i opinion he had heard. Those on the out .
!de OF the present limits were against it on
ne score OF increase of taxation and those .
n the inside were bound to oppose it be- '
ause OF the too lavish expenditure it au.
by the unlimited powers granted I
Mayor and Council. !
Mr.. John Thomas, a large freeholder and !
expressed himself unaualifedlv c
pposed to the bill. It put far too much I
over in the hands Of a few men and from !
ne opinion be was able t. form gave to-. !
iuch po~e r to create a great deal of in
in the way OF sewers and water T
orks which would swamp the town II a
'ckless men should get control. In his c
plnion public sentiment was not prepared +
IT such a sweeping change as this +
lvolved. 1t ought to be voted down a
and if 10 six months it beca me better t
then let it be voted on again. But h
he thing had be- done in a corner from
lie beginning. No one had publicly de- +
AIRED an intention Of formulating such a a
Ieasure. No public meeting had been called l
t which an e1 expression OF opinion by the h
ast men in the community could be OBJ. +,
lined. And now they showed this m as. il
re in its crude and iIl-dieested o.
,ndition before men to vote upon it r,
ho couldn't be expected to cast
4 intelligent vote considering the lack of +,
scussion about it. We have got this ;,
we'll improved now and most OF the y,
lies filled up and at no small expense. :.
it we take in all this new territory :;
'ere will be more waste land to improve -
AN would pay for the outlay. Mr.. f.
homas shared the general opinion that1 a,
e bill opened the ground for too lavish p